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6th grade sub plans: writing

One writing lesson for every period of a 6th grade day, with no prep: a five-minute quick write, then an argument prompt on the board (today's is “Do video games help or hurt learning? Support your claim with reasons and, where you can, evidence from your reading or your own experience.”) with a plan to copy, a claim and two reasons, each with an example, about 25 minutes of writing, a partner check and an exit ticket at the door. The timetable runs 7 periods of 50 minutes.

Checked October 30, 2026. Made from Peabody Teach's own passages, worksheets and brain break cards.

Make the whole day at 6th grade ▸

The lesson, every period

Writing: an argument

  1. First 5 minutes, the quick write: students write without stopping, in full sentences, on this: “A town wakes up to find that every clock has stopped at 3:17. Write what happens next.”
  2. Next 5 minutes, the prompt: write it on the board and read it aloud, “Do video games help or hurt learning? Support your claim with reasons and, where you can, evidence from your reading or your own experience.” Beside it, draw the plan as boxes: Claim / Reason 1 and an example / Reason 2 and an example / Ending.
  3. Partners get two minutes to say their claim and one reason out loud to each other before anyone writes.
  4. Next 25 minutes: students copy the boxes and fill them in (about 5 minutes), then write one or two paragraphs from the plan. Keep the room quiet; walk it, and point to the plan rather than fixing sentences.
  5. Then the partner check: partners swap papers, underline the claim, and put a check beside each reason that has an example. They write one thing to fix in the margin.
  6. Last 5 minutes, the exit ticket: students copy their best sentence onto a scrap of paper with their name and say in a few words why it works. They hand it to you at the door.
  7. Collect the work for each period in its own pile, with the period written on top.

On the projector: Writing prompts by grade

Subbing 6th grade

In many schools sixth grade is the first year of a middle school day: a bell every period, lockers, several teachers. Sixth graders still lean on a clear routine, so say the plan at the start of every period and leave it on the board.

  • Write the period's task and what to hand in on the board before the bell.
  • Seat them by the seating chart and take attendance from it; by second period it is how you know names.
  • Give a two-minute warning before the bell, so packing up doesn't eat the exit ticket.

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